There is a global clock in a PET system in the prior art, that is to say, time command information is sent to various high-energy photon detectors by a total clock. In this way, decoupling and independence of the various high-energy photon detectors are disrupted. Once an increase or decrease in the number of detectors is required, circuit layout and other settings need to be redone in the system, which is complex and inconvenient.
There is thus a need to provide a new timing apparatus and method for a radiation detection, measurement, identification and imaging system, with an aim of addressing the problems of decoupling and independence of the high-energy photon detectors.